Barnaby Joyce

The Nationals Member For New England

Grants to tell the stories and conserve places that define the New England Electorate

21 May 2015

FEDERAL Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce said the Grafton Ngerrie Local Aboriginal Land Council [GNLALC] will benefit from a grant of $10,890 with the announcement of successful projects under the Australian Government’s Community Heritage and Icons Grants Programme.

Mr Joyce said the Land Council would use the funding to develop the Gondwana Rainforest of the Gibraltar Range-Aboriginal seasonal resource calendar.

He said the project will produce an Aboriginal seasonal calendar and display images of resources and usage relative to the Traditional seasonal availability.

“The calendar will target areas of the Gibraltar Range National Park that are located within the GNLALC boundaries,” Mr Joyce said.

“This area is a World heritage area and contains Gondwanan Rainforest with outstanding nature value. The calendar will be produced in an electronic format and capture important Aboriginal resource knowledge and usage of this significant area.

“This project will help promote wider community awareness of one of the 103 places listed on Australia’s National Heritage List.

“It also provides an opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate a local place of historic national significance,” Mr Joyce said.

Mr Joyce said the calendar will be available for public distribution and provide an educational resource to facilitate Cultural and intergenerational knowledge sharing resulting in raised community awareness of the World heritage values.

Federal Environment Minister, Greg Hunt congratulated the GNLALC as being one of 30 community groups and organisations across Australia, who will receive this funding.

“These grants are part of a $1.4 million commitment by the Australian Government to provide opportunities for community groups to celebrate places of national significance in their communities which are recognised on Australia's National Heritage List,” Mr Hunt said.

“I encourage people to visit these sites and learn about the places that tell their part of the story of our unique and diverse heritage.”

Further information about Community Heritage and Icons Grants is available at www.environment.gov.au/community-heritage-icons-grants